That also gets back to how the QB is used though. AJ has a full season in which he had only 3 INTs, and threw for 30 TDs. However, he threw the ball more his last season, had 7 picks and 2 against Oklahoma and Miss. State.
No doubt. I was kinda taken aback by how effusive Saban was in praising Bryce Young. It is tough to get him to say that about 3rd or 4th year players sometimes.
Personally, I want the "RIGHT NOW" best guy running the offense. So if Young comes in and flashes greatness here and there, is OUTRIGHT better than Mac. I don't want Young behind center except in mop up duty or strategically designed parts of the game. It is very tempting
I don't think Saban truly believed we had LEADERS on this year's squad and possibly last year's as well. Not like he's used to having. In years past he's been used to a Fitzpatrick, Johnathan Allen, C.J. Moseley, A.J. McCarron, Barrett Jones, SOMEBODY!!!, stepping up and being a leader. He may feel he finally has a kid that there's no doubt this is what he is and there's a lot of excitement in that.
No doubt...but our offensive philosophy and the SEC is trending more toward airing it out and trying to be 'good enough" on defense. So if you throw a couple of pix 6s, you better also throw about 6 more TDs.
Agreed on both paragraphs...we know Tua was better than Jalen in arm talent from day one...so I wonder if the "leadership" qualities were there that CNS thought he'd need to take over.
He's just so "nice" that it makes you wonder.
Every since he had the surgery and was expected to make a full recovery my position has been that I'm pretty confident he still goes in the top 5 and very confident he goes in the top 10 picks. Most of the rationale relates to what you meantioned i.e. weak QB class and QB needy teams are drafting high per usual. Also, the Dolphins have several first round picks and they aren't getting better in 1 year so it's an ideal situation for them to "redshirt" Tua the first year so he can fully recover and then take over as the starter the following year..
A couple of years ago Jerry Jones took a linebacker that he knew wouldn't play that year. I guess if you are convinced Tua is that good and you can get him you might be willing to do that. IDK, though, NFL is such a QB centric league.
That's exactly why QBs are over drafted and go for such a premium in the draft and free agency. If you're the Dolphins with the #3 pick, what does it matter if you draft a pro bowl WR or lineman if Ryan Fitzpatrick is your QB? They, and several other teams drafting in the top 10, need a pro bowl QB to change the direction of their franchise. Right now, here are the teams that could potentially draft Tua in the top 10 that have a need at QB. This does not include other teams who could potentially trade up:
You are forgetting one thing - the guys making these picks want to keep their jobs. Nothing will get a GM fired faster than picking the wrong QB early in the draft. If they draft Tua #3 and he can't play for whatever reason, the GM is getting fired. So, you draft very carefully when you have an early round pick. You can have any other player fail and folks forget about it. You can't pick wrong with a QB that early and survive.
The Dolphins aren't good evaluators of qb's since Shula retired. Otherwise they would've had Drew Brees or wouldn't have traded Ryan Tannehill for a 6th round pick. So absolutely nothing would surprise me, but I don't think any of the rest of the Top 10 are going to be going for a high risk pick.
Im really trying to remember if there has ever been a quarterback drafted in the Top 15 without a Combine score or a Pro Bowl or Senior Bowl showing . But I agree that Tua right now is an extremely High Risk-High Reward type pick that I think many GMs are going to be sweating through their shoes when its their turn to pull the trigger on.
Fair, but I wouldn't bet my career on him at this point, either.
